ELDORADO " 63 



grass or water. The Indians occupying this region 

 might properly be called "root diggers." Roots, seeds, 

 grass and every living animal thing, lizard, insect or 

 worm, they ate. Grasshoppers, which I have seen 

 the Diggers of California eat with so much relish, 

 would have been a godsend to them. Nearly ap- 

 proaching the animal creation, their sole employment 

 was to obtain food. 



A great portion of the country then occupied by 

 these Indians once abounded in game. We had found 

 the buffalo ranging about on the Eastern slope, and 

 these vast Western plains were once dotted with bands 

 of antelope, but so rapidly had they disappeared within 

 a few years that now, as we journeyed along, an occa- 

 sional buffalo skull and the decayed bones of antelope 

 were all that remained to indicate the abundance of 

 animal life that once existed. 



A curious incident occurred one day. Our route 

 lay along the end of a spur of the mountain extending 

 out into the plain. Here we saw a small column of 

 smoke ascending from a depression. Carefully ap- 

 proaching the place, a solitary Indian was seen stand- 

 ing on the bank of a little creek. He was perfectly 

 nude and was gazing thoughtfully at a little fire on 

 which stood an earthen pot gently simmering. It was 

 filled with the ground squirrels that abound in the lo- 

 cality. Pie was a fine, stalwart looking fellow, perhaps 

 22 or 2T,. More squirrels and his bow and arrows lav 

 near the fire. Evidently greatly alarmed, he vet made 

 no effo^-t to run awav, and offered us some of his sauir- 

 rels. His bow and arrows were fine snecimens of In- 

 dian skill, the arrows tipped with polished stone. 



The Ute Indians were treacherous, and would attack 



